Getting Caught Up

 I spent my first day home scrubbing my floors and doing laundry but I still managed to get a little piecing done.

 After spending all that time with Daddio's perfectly crisp hexies I was not happy about my sloppy squares. I always have trouble keeping the little corners down so I came up with this idea. It worked like a charm but it cracked me up. I kept thinking about little square ladies with curlers in their hair every time I looked at them.

 I have no idea why I thought that was so funny but after I got over my giggles I managed to get several blocks done. Then I ran out of navy blue material and glue pen refills so now this project is on hold until they show up.

I also had planned to start cutting the fabric for the Sunflower blocks from my new kit but my cutter was cranky which made me cranky. Now I also have to wait for Amazon to bring new blades because shredding the fabric is not my idea of a good time. Since the quilting corner is going to be quiet for a few days I suppose I'll have to find some other mischief to get into. There's always something.

The Long Journey Home

 My back has been out of whack for weeks now.  Every morning I get up I'm in misery. When I slept on Daughter's hard couch for several nights this week I noticed a big improvement so I was pretty sure it was time to update the old mattress back at home.

 It is an Ikea mattress that I loved but it is almost 15 years old now so I suppose it's time. I pass an Ikea on my way home from Daughter's so I ran in and tried a few out.

 This is how they come.

 They are heavy but manageable. I got one in the car all by myself.

I also picked up the organizers I wanted for the weaving cart. You get a whole pack of them in mixed sizes for only $6. I couldn't even use them all in my little cart.

When I finally got home this was waiting for me. Thanks Valerie!! I was completely gobsmacked by your generosity. I love, love, love your sock yarn and as slow as I knit this will keep me happy for many years.
It's good to be home!

Kitty Sitting

 This wasn't one of my well planned out sitting adventures.

 First Daughter was going and then she wasn't and then suddenly she was.

 I didn't have time to pack up a lot of projects so I just took what I had on hand.

 I pretty much spent the past few days watching Netflix and knitting socks.

 Lots of socks.

This TNT project got neglected at home so I brought it along. It didn't get far because I discovered I don't like to stitch and watch TV. At home stitching is audio book time but at Daughter's I got caught up in The Bodyguard, The Umbrella Academy and The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann. All are very binge worthy.

I had been bringing the pieces to Daddio's nine patch to work on when I go critter sitting but it's too big now to drag around so I snatched up a few of his hexies to put together while I was away.

At home, I've been appliqueing them down whenever I get a spare minute or two and now I've got a little pile of these blocks. I am not sure where they are going from here but I'm sure I'll think of something eventually.

An Old Friend

It's not often that the news makes you think of a knitting project.

Monday's news out of Paris made me so sad.

The whole time I was working on my Tracery vest I thought of those beautiful Rose Windows of Notre Dame.

The pattern is supposed remind you of the castle at Hogwarts but for me, not being up on the Harry Potter lore, it was always the north Rose Window I was knitting over and over.

The pattern by Kathleen Sperling was a gift from Valerie and I loved working on it but I got stuck.

I wanted to modify the vest by elongating the window pattern and then making it into something that opened in the front. I can do steeks, that's not the problem. The problem was the top shaping. I couldn't figure out what to do with the neck.

 I even bought a Craftsy class so I could knit along and figure out how that shaping works. It's a V shaped steek.

Today I'm all fired up about getting out the yarn and starting that Craftsy class so I can finally get it done but there's a problem.....

...I'm not home. Daughter decided on an impromptu trip to Vegas so I've been kitty sitting at her house since Monday morning working on socks and a few other things I brought along. I am hoping that fire-oh, bad choice of words, sorry-is still burning when I get home. I've been working on Tracery since 2014 and now this HAS to be her year.

Tiny Needle Tuesday

 I spent most of last week getting the little house done on May's Sheep Virtue block. I hope Miss Faith will be on her mound by next Tuesday.

My other house didn't get far. One window. That's it. I couldn't do both houses at the same time. It was just too boring.

And then there was this. I realized that to keep the color pattern I had to put on two more rows not one.

 No problem. I really like making these paper pieces and I think the size will be even better.

Mail Call

 On Saturday The Mister came back from the mailbox with his arms full. Thanks to Kathy B I now have some really gorgeous Zauberball. I love this stuff. Thanks so much Kathy!!! I see a really fun project in my future.

 In another You Tube induced Midnight Madness shopping spree I had two packages containing supplies for lettering practice. Don't ask me why. I thought it would be a good idea at the time but I was stuck in a chair with a bad back and bored out of my mind. Now that I am up and about again the last thing I want to do is sit and do anything.

This was a smart purchase because one of you suggested I add another row to Daddio's Nine Patch. I was thinking in terms of making it bigger by adding more border but this was a much better idea. Thank you Shirley! I wasn't even thinking in that direction but it makes sense and I'm really excited to get going on this. Dear Jane can just wait.

The Mister's Big Day

 The Mister turns 65 today. He'll be spending his birthday watching golf. I suggested dinner out but his answer was "but......golf". Sigh.

 He spent yesterday also watching golf but he also cleaned the man cave and came up with an Easter card for his sister using my spring giveaway card leftovers. He did a good job.

 He even improvised his inside sentiment to say what he wanted it to say. I may have to steal his idea.

 He's pretty crafty all on his own.

 We have shelves of models that he builds.

 This is one of my favorites.

We've got ships too. Dusting them is no fun. I always manage to break off some little part. Don't tell him though. He never notices.